File band support for filing machines



Oct. 31, 1944. PETERSIEN 2,361,791

EILE BAND SUPPORT FOR FILING MACHINES Filed April 15, 1943 Hans FETE'FEEH Patented Oct. 31 1944 OFFICE FILE BAND SUPPORT FOR FILING MACHINES Hans Petersen, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Continental Machines, Incorporated, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application April 15, 1943, Serial No. 483,154

8 Claims,

This invention relates to continuous filing and abrading machines of the type illustrated in the patent to Leighton A. Wilkie, No. 2,180,078.

In filing and abrading machines of this type an endless flexible file band upon which individual file segments or abrading elements are mounted is trained over vertically spaced pulleys mounted in a substantially C-shaped frame so that the forward stretch of the file band travels downwardly in a straight line across the throat of the Q-shaped frame which defines a working zone.

A suitable work supporting table is mounted on the frame upon which the work to be performed may be placed. as it is pressed against the downwardlytraveling'succession of file segments.

In View ofthe flexibility of the file band it is, of course, necessary to provide a suitable backup or support for the file band to take the pressure of the work thereon. In the past this backup consisted of a substantially track-like member rigidly supported at its upper and lower ends and strong enough to resist deflection by the pressure of the work against the file band. In view of the 'necessity fOr making the backup strong enough to preclude deflection it had to be quite large in cross section and as a consequence the backup often interfered with manipulation of the work especially where the filing had to be done within a closely confined space as for instance within a small hole or recess. In fact, the size of the backup precluded the use. of the machine in many instances.

The size of the work pieces that can be han-- dled is also limited by the vertical dimension of the throat which, as noted hereinbefore, defines the working zone. The minimum distance between the supports for the upper and lower ends of the backup is thus limited and in a machine of normal capacity this distance is such that a thin file guide and backup cannot be satisfactorily used as it bows or deflects under thepressure of the work against the file guide.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a practical and simple way of supporting the file guide and backup so that a backup of relatively small cross section may be employed without danger of having it bow or deflect under the work pressure.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a simple, readily adjusted brace or support for the backup which braces and holds the same against deflection and which may be located to apply its support at the most advan-;

tageous point along the length of the backup. I

In order to reduce to a minimum the interference with close filing occasioned by the presence of the file guide, the guide, besides being thin from front to back, is no wider than the files at least in the working zone. As a result the guide does not embrace the files to support them against lateral displacement except at the top and bottom of the guide where it is. sup ported. It is therefor another object of the invention to provide the brace with a shoe adapted to embrace the files as well as the file guide and thus support the files against lateral displacement at a point directly above the work piece and whichshoe is removable to enable replacement thereof by shoes of different. widths to accommodate different file bands.

With the above and other objects in viewwhich will appear as thedescription proceeds, this -in ventionresidesinthe novel construction, com-\ bination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being under-- stood that such changes in theprecise embodiment. of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of the physical embodiment of the. invention constructed in accordance with thebestmode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof and in which:

Figure. 1 is a view in side elevation of a filing machine equipped with this invention, the filing machine being illustrated diagrammatically;

Figure 2 is a perspective view .of the bracing rod per se and its adjustable mounting;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional detail view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 33;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional View through the file guide and backup illustrating one manner of holding the backup. and its bracing rod against relative lateral displacement;

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the. use of a removable shoe mounted on the end of.

the brace rod to support the files against lateral displacement; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through Fig-.

ure 5 on the plane of the lineB-B.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates generally the frame of a filing machine, which, as is customary,- is substantially O-shaped in side elevation so as to have vertically spaced upper and lower arms 6 and I connected by a back portion 8.

The throat or open space of the C-shaped frame constitutes the working zone and a work supporting table 9 mounted on the lower portion of the frame supports the work W for presentation to the file band, indicated generally by the numeral The file band is trained over vertically spaced pulleys I l and I2 mounted in the upper and lower portions of the frame, respectively, driven so that the front stretch of the endless file band travels downwardly in a straight line across the throat of the C-shaped frame. 1

In the conventional filing machines of the past the flexible file band was supported against the pressure of the work during its passage through the working zone by a file guide and backup sufiiciently strong to withstand the pressure of the work. Formany types of filing such a construction is perfectly satisfactory, but in instances calling for internal filing or filing in close quarters the bulkiness of a file guide and backup strong enough to withstand the pressure of the work on the file band would be objectionable. To overcome this objection the present invention substitutes a file guide and backup is which is relatively thin or of small cross section so as to minimi'ze its interference with filing in close quarters.

This relatively thin backup is supported from the frame at its upper and lower ends and has its intermediate portion braced by a rod H of a length to extend from the backup to the back portion 8 of the frame where it is securely mounted. The rod i4 thus supports or braces the backup against inward deflection by the pressure of work on the file band; and in view of the fact that the rod i4 carries the stress imposed thereon in endwise or axial compression, the rod may be relatively light.

The attachment of the rod M to the frame incorporates adjustment by which the length of the rod ma be accurately set and also by which its elevation above the work supporting table may be altered to suit different types of work and to enable the application of the support for the backup at the most advantageous position along its exposed length- For this purpose the inner threaded end is of the rod is threaded into a tapped hole is in a slide block I1. A knurled look nut l8 locks the rod in any position to which it is adjusted by screwing the rod in or out of the hole l6. Any suitable means such as knurling l9 may be provided to facilitate turning the rod.

The slide block I1 is slidably mounted on a fixed slide 20 having a T-slot 2|. A T-bolt 22, the square head of which is received in the T slot 2|, passes through the block I! and enables the block to be secured at any point along the length of the slideway.

The inner face of the block has a guide rib 23 fitted in the T-slot as shown so that when the block is tightened down it is firmly held against rotation about the clamping screw, and as a resuit the rod I4 is firmly supported in a horizontal position at an elevation depending upon the height at which the block I! is secured in place on the slideway.

While the support for the rod I4 is sufficiently rigid to hold its outer free end in line with the.

file guide and backup, positive assurance against lateral displacement of these parts is obtained by having a dowel pin or tit 24 project from the end of the rod into a longitudinal groove 25 in the backup.

A. removable shoe 26 on the end of the brace rod i4 also provides means for supporting the files against lateral displacement during their travel through the working zone. This removable shoe (Figures 5 and 6) is mounted on the end of the brace rod M by having a tit 21 on the end of the rod enter a hole 28 drilled into the shoe.

The front face of the shoe has a channel 2 9 of a width to receive the file guide and file band and a depth to have the sides 30 of the channel embrace the files as well as the file guide. In this manner the files are firmly held against lateral displacement and in view of the adjustability afforded for the height of the brace rod 14 it is possible to locate the shoe directly above the work piece.

The removability of the shoe enables replacement thereof by shoes of different width to accommodate file bands of correspondingly different widths.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, that this invention provides an exceedingly simple buteifective way of enabling the use of a relatively thin file guide and backup without entailing objectionable bowing or deflection thereof due to the pressure of the work against the filing surface.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a filing machine having a substantially c-shaped frame and an endless file band trained over pulleys mounted in the frame with one stretch thereof traveling across the throat of the c-s'haped frame to provide a work engaging surface against which work may be pressed: a backup for the file band extending across the throat of the C-shetped frame and rigidly sup orted at its upper and lower ends, said backup having a small cross section so as to .liaye minimum interference with work being performed; and a brace rod projecting endwise substantially horizontally from the back of the c shaped frame with its free end engaging the backu to support the same against being bowed by the ressure of the work against the file band.

2. In a filing machine having a substantially c-shaped frame and an endless file band trained over pulleys mounted in the frame with one stretch thereof traveling across the throat of the C-shaped frame to provide a work engaging surface against which work may be pressed: 2. backup for the file band extending across the throat of the C-shaped frame and rigidly supported at its upper and lower ends, said backup having a small cross section so as to have minimum interfer'erice with work being performed; a brace rod of a length to reach from the backup to the back portion of the c shaped frame; and means on the back portion of the C-shaped frame rigidly mounting said brace rod and holding the same in a substantially horizontal position with its front end engaging the backup to brace the same against deflection by pressure of work on the file band.

3. In a filing machine having a substantially C- shaped frame and an endless file band trained over pulleys mounted in the frame with one stretch thereof traveling across the throat of the C-shaped fram to provide a work engaging surface against which work may be pressed: a backup for the file band extending across the throat of the C-shaped frame and supported at its upper and lower ends, said backup having a small cross section so as to have minimum interference with work being performed; abrace rod of a length to reach from the backup to the back portion of the C-shaped frame; means on the back portion of the C-shaped frame rigidly mounting said brace rod and holding the same in a substantially horizontal position with its front end engaging the backup to brace the same against deflection by pressure of work on the file band; and means for adjusting the length of the brace rod.

4. In a filing machine having a substantially cshaped frame and an endless file band trained over pulleys mounted in the frame with one stretch thereof traveling across the throat of the C-shaped frame to provide a work engaging surface against which work may be pressed: a backup for the file band extending across the throat of the C-shaped frame and supported at its upper and lower ends, said backup having a small cross section so as to have minimum interference with work being performed; a brace rod of a length to extend from the backup to a rigid portion of the frame remote from its open throat; and an adjustable support for connecting the brace rod to said remote portion of the frame and by which the brace rod may be located to bear against the backup at any point along the exposed length thereof and thus support the same at the most advantageous point against deflection by the pressure of work on the file band.

5. In a filing machine having a substantially c-shaped frame and an endless file band trained over pulleys mounted in the frame with one stretch thereof traveling across the throat of the C-shaped frame to provide a, work engaging surface against which work may be pressed: a backup for the file band extending across the throat of the c-shaped frame and supported at its upper and lower ends, said backup having a small cross section so as to have minimum interference with work being performed; a brace rod of a length to extend from the backup to a rigid portion of the frame remote from its open throat; an adjustable support for connecting the brace rod to said remote portion of the frame and by which the brace rod may be located to bear against the backup at any point along the exposed length thereof and thus support the same at the most advantageous point against deflection by the pressure of work on the file band; and means interconnecting th brace rod with the backup to hold said parts against relative lateral displacement, said means permitting engagement of the brace rod with the backup at any point along the exposed length thereof.

6. In a filing machine having a substantially the same against C-shaped frame and an endless file band trained over pulleys mounted in the frame with one stretch thereof traveling across the throat of the C-shaped frame to provide a work engaging surface against which work may be pressed, said file band comprising a carrier and file segments mounted thereon: a backup for the file band extending across the throat of the C-shaped frame and supported at its upper and lower ends; an intermediate support for the backup to support deflection by the pressure of work on the file band, said intermediate support having portions embracing the sides of the file band and files to support the files against lateral displacement; and means mounting said intermediate support from a rigid part of the machine.

7. In a filing machine having a substantially C- shaped frame and an endless file band mounted to have one stretch thereof travel downwardly across the throat of the frame to provide a work engaging surface against which work to be filed may be pressed, said file band comprising a carrier and a series of file segments mounted thereon: a backup extending across the throat of the C-shaped frame and rigidly supported at its upper and lower ends, said backup being no wider in the working zone than the files; a brace rod for supporting the backup againstinward deflection by the pressure of the work thereon; and a shoe carried by the brace rod and embracing the file guide and files to support the files against lateral displacement.

8. In a filing machine having a substantially C-shaped frame and an endless file band mounted to have one stretch thereof travel downwardly across the throat of the frame to provide a work engaging surface against which work to be filed may be pressed, said file band comprising a carrier and a series of file segments mounted thereon: a backup extending across the throat of the C-shaped frame and rigidly supported at its upper and lower ends, said backup being no widerin the working zone than the files; a brace rod for supporting the backup against inward deflection by the pressure of the work thereon; a shoe carried by the brace rod and embracing the file guide and files to support the files against lateral displacement; and means readily detachably connecting the shoe to the brace to enable replacement of the shoe by other shoes of different sizes to accommodate file bands of correspondingly different widths.

HANS PETERSEN. 

